Tuesday, September 28, 2010

I'm off to Quartzsite, Arizona, again to water trees and clean the motor home for our visit the end of October. It's a real challenge to get the place stocked with canned goods, cooking supplies and the such, but it's worth it when the weather turns cold in Camp Verde, Arizona.

This year we are going to focus on selling copies of my murder mystery, Evil in the Mirror, while we bask in the warm sun. I even plan on stopping at naked Paul's Oasis Book Store this year and see if he will stock my book. You can bet I will walk with my back to the wall while I am there!

The important thing to know is that everyone gets a week's reprieve from my blogs and incessant bantering about my book.

Monday, September 27, 2010

October 2nd is fast approaching and I am waiting with anticipation for what I hope will be a monumental day. I look forward to meeting local and hopefully nonlocal authors so we can share thoughts and ideas.

I thank Yavapai College and the Well Red Coyote book store for sponsoring this event for a second year, especially during our current recession. It's tough to find events that focus on local authors, especially in Sedona. The event also gives us, the authors, a chance to present our works to the Verde Valley community and the many tourists who visit the magnificent red rocks of Sedona.

If you are not busy next Saturday, take a relaxing drive to Sedona and check out the festival. I would love to see all my family, friends and fans, and I also hope to make new friends too.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, a jug of "Crown" in one hand, a case of "24" in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming, "WOO HOO what a ride!"

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Remember the movie Trading Places where the two old, greedy millionaires bet that if a snobbish investor and a streetwise con artist switched places, the investor would go bad and the con artist would steal from the company? I never forgot the scene when Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy teamed up and were ready to bankrupt Randolph and Mortimer Duke. Randolph is having a heart attack, while Mortimer is yelling on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, "Sell, sell, sell!" Well, that's how I feel about my book.

My hat is off again to Wheatmark Publishing, Tucson, Arizona. They know how hard I have worked trying to promote my murder mystery, Evil in the Mirror, whilewriting the sequel, Day Stalker, updating my Website, maintaining my blog five days a week, Twittering and Facebooking like The Mad Hatter, and last, but not least, coming up with new promotional ideas.

I received a heavy box from Wheatmark a few days ago and inside was a 700 page book called 1001 Ways To Market Your Books. I immediately started researching the author, John Kremer, and holy smoly, this guy knocked my socks off! He has forgotten more about writing, promoting, managing, Websites, blogs, Twitter and maybe even time travel, than I will ever know!

The book was a simple way of saying thanks for publishing my sequel with Wheatmark, and I appreciate the gesture very much. You see, they want me to succeed too. After all, it really is about selling books, and with the Internet the world is truly your oyster.

If you are thinking about writing and/or publishing a book, please give Wheatmark Publishing a try. They are the very best at traditional and POD publishing, and it's nice to have their team working with you. Here's to your success!

Friday, September 24, 2010

Male or female? You might not have known this, but a lot of nonliving objects are actually either male or female. Here are some examples:

FREEZER BAGS:They are male, because they hold everything in, but you can see right through them.

PHOTOCOPIERS:These are female, because once turned off; it takes a while to warm them up again. They are an effective reproductive device if the right buttons are pushed, but can also wreak havoc if you push the wrong buttons.

TIRES:Tires are male, because they go bald easily and are often over inflated.

HOT AIR BALLOONS:Also a male object, because to get them to go anywhere, you have to light a fire under their butts.

SPONGES:These are female, because they are soft, squeezable and retain water.

WEB PAGES:Female, because they're constantly being looked at and frequently getting hit on.

TRAINS:Definitely male, because they always use the same old lines for picking up people....

EGG TIMERS:

Egg timers are female because, over time, all the weight shifts to the bottom.

HAMMERS:Male, because in the last 5000 years, they've hardly changed at all, and are occasionally handy to have around.

THE REMOTE CONTROL:Female. Ha! You probably thought it would be male, but consider this: It easily gives a man pleasure, he'd be lost without it, and while he doesn't always know which buttons to push, he just keeps trying.

The preceding tomfoolery was sent to me by my friend Annie and they begged to be shared on my blog.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

I"Let's see here. I need to shower,eat some oatmeal, put on my new Obama T-shirt, grab my .9 mm and hold up a convenience store." ... New Fashion Rage In Police Mug Shots, These are actual police photos.

Just think about this for a second:

Did you ever see anyone arrested wearing a Bush T-shirt,or for you older guys, an Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan,or even Nixon, or Bob Dole shirt?

There MUST be a message here, but I can'tquite grasp it.

Maybe you can help me out here......Sent by a fan from, Tucson, Arizona

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

If you like exciting storytelling and excellent fiction writing, you need to read works by Candace Bowser . This new author has taken my writing world by storm.

Yes, she is beautiful and so is her writing. I may be a softy when it comes to a pretty face, but my real weakness is finding an author who writes with passion and purpose and is able to put the reader into their haunting scenes.

Her Website is rich in color and substance, giving some insight into her writing before you open any pages of her novels.

In a book world of uncertainly and second-rate authors, you can be sure that Candace will overwhelm you with bigger than life characters and story line.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Thank you very much for the book "Evil in the Mirror". I read it cover to cover the day I received it and I'm sure I will read it several times while I'm here! You did a fantastic job, great story line, well written, and it kept my attention the whole time! I couldn't put it down! Chris said you have finished writing a second book. Let me know when it comes out on Amazon and I will gladly purchase a copy of it. You're very talented so keep it up! I am on a very small base near the border with Pakistan, crazy country this place is. We were ambushed on my first convoy around 9pm, a large group of Taliban fighters hit us with RPGs and small arms fire. We fought them off and made it safe and sound! I am hoping things quiet down a bit now that the elections are over with. Well, I have to run for now but thanks again for the great book and I look forward to reading your second novel! Feel free to e-mail me now that you have my address and I will keep in touch as well! Thanks again, Mitt!

Fred

My comments back to Fred:

Hi, Fred,

Thanks for the book comments and you can bet I will send you a signed copy of Day Stalker just as soon as it's published. You cannot buy a book of mine. The least I can do is send you free books. You and your comrades are doing what it takes to keep America safe!

I want everyone who heeds the call of battle to come home safe and sound soon!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Well, it’s getting close to that time of the year when we again migrate to Quartzsite, Arizona, along with over 50,000 other trailer and motor home trash, for the winter.

This year will be different in the sense that this time we will be selling copies of my murder mystery novel, Evil in the Mirror. I'm thinking instead of spending money at a zillion vendors' tents, it's time for a little payback.

We know from experience that most of the hordes that land in Quartzsite are retired folks who love to read. So, the first thing we need to do is donate my book to the local library, and then set up a table selling the books at the Senior Citizen's Center, which happens to be within walking distance of our lot and motor home.

Yes, we have planned it right down to the last detail—including, but not limited to, buying high and selling low, which has been our formula for making extra money in the past. Which explains why we have no extra money. It will be different this time, we are not going to give in to the temptations of the past. Can we go home with more money than we arrived with this time? Probably not, but, damn, we’ll have a good time!

We are working on a cover for my newest murder mystery, Day Stalker. One idea floating around is the cover shown, but we would like to see the blue gone and only a white background. We also think A Murder Mystery should be under the title for promotional purposes. What do you think?

The person who comes up with the best cover design will be given a free signed copy of the book, and you will also be mentioned in the credits. That and a buck will get you a cup of coffee, but it's the best I can do. After all, I am still classified as an unkown author, and Oprah hasn't called.

Wheatmark Publishing is working on a cover design, but I thought it might be fun to have one of my fans maybe get the credit instead. Why not, you are the folks who are buying the books!

I am really confused. The Russians sent us a one hundred foot tall memorial to 9/11 in 2006 and it stands in New Jersey? Where was I when that happened, on another planet? I'm not a news nut, but I do keep abreast of the happenings around the world.While we are still haggling about a 9/11 monument, our former cold war enemy, Russia, has created, erected and dedicated a monument in the USA that is not only beautiful, but significant in scope and stature, and brings tears to the eyes when viewed. It makes me wonder why we haven’t been able to build our own monument to 9/11. Could it be politics as usual?

Of course, President Putin is playing the political game too, but still—the monument is impressive and speaks volumes in its simple message. I, for one, thank the Russian people for the memorial that is now called, To The Struggle Against World Terrorism. I also thank my friend Sandy Cartwright, for sending me the pictures and story, and thus enlightening me yet again.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

I just don't get it.... A friend of mine was in a motorcycle accident yesterday in Flagstaff, Arizona. She was not wearing a helmet, and had just left the bar before dumping her bike alongside the road.Was she drinking? Hell, yes, she was drinking! Did she get killed? No, but she should have. Did she get a DUI? No, she rode the damn thing home bleeding like a stuck pig while somehow managing not to get stopped. Was it the first time she had wore here bike after drinking and then riding? No! I have lost count how many times the earth stood still for me when I got news of her drinking spills.

I am close to my friend, but not close enough to get her to stop being stupid. You think she's got a death wish? Duh, must be, because that's where she is headed like a moth to a flame.I have been riding for a day or two, and I know how much fun hanging with biker buds and budettes can be. It's a special feeling being part of a group who watches each other's back and trust is automatic. Being a free spirit is what it is all about, but being a dead spirit due to spirits sucks!Have I ridden drunk? Yes. I have, and one time it ended up with a spill and me soaking in a tub of bleach in the hospital because of sever road burns. I was out of commission for weeks and I hurt like hell for months. I learned that NA beer tasted just as good as the hard stuff at rallies and runs. Hell, I rode to Sturgis and back sucking down NAs like they were soda pop and had a fabulous time riding in the safe zone!I know there have been millions of words written about not driving or riding drunk and yet, thousands of people end up dead or worse every year. Some end up killing an innocent bystander and spend a long stretch in prison. Well, here are a few more words about not driving or riding drunk. It's better me writing them than just staying silent.

If my friend dies being an idiot, at least I kept trying to help her the only way I know how.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

There is a chapter in my murder mystery novel, Evil in the Mirror, when Detective Jon Mull finds out that the parents of two teens, murdered by the evil twins, commit suicide. Jon thinks he should ride his Harley all the way to China and quit police work.

You might not be able to ride all the way to China, but after you fly the big bird there you can rent a Harley, ride for about a hundred years, and not see the same road twice. Yes, China has a Harley-Davidson dealership and the middle-class population (about two billion people) are about to get off of their Vespas motor scooters and run with the big dogs!

I read recently that Harley-Davidson is contemplating moving out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, because of the high cost of labor at their manufacturing plant. Shades of Detroit, Michigan...hello, Harley workers, ten percent of Americans are out of work and would love to have the plant in their home state! In fact, Mr. Davidson, how about moving to Phoenix, Arizona, where everyday is a riding day, the weather doesn't affect shipping, and labor is reasonable?I am impressed with Harley-Davidson for taking a stand against high labor costs. I suppose if I were working at the plant and stood to lose my high paying, big benefits job, I too would be threatening to sell my bike. Well, I don't work there, and I had to sell my bike because I lost my job and needed the money. So, shut the hell up, and work for less or lose what you have right along with the rest of us!I hope the venture in China is successful and I expect it will be. After all, the Chinese are world- class businessmen and women. Perhaps Harley will move their plant to sunny Arizona and if and when my writing career takes off, I will again be riding in the wind.

Monday, September 13, 2010

I take pride in being an unknown author. Why? Because I have stayed true to myself and have never, nor will I ever, stop writing the best possible murder mysteries. The reading public deserves quality and honesty for their hard-earned money and if the reviews are any indication, I have attained that goal.

I found one legitimate POD publisher who warned me from the very beginning that becoming a successful author is a long and expensive road lined with failures, heartbreak and discouragement. I responded with, "Full speed ahead and damn the discouragements!" Full speed ahead it has been, and just like riding a wooden-track roller coaster, it has been a rough and scary ride, but exciting beyond belief!

"I have yet begun to fight!" This is my montra also and I will continue to do the thing I love most, writing exciting, page-tuning murder mysteries. Grab a cup of coffee, turn on all the lights, sit down and read Evil in the Mirror. The only thing you will regret is putting it down before you are finished.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

My newest murder mystery, Day Stalker, is finished! The contract with Wheatmark Publishing is signed and now starts the publishing process. We are working on a cover design and hopefully it will be completed before the Sedona Book Festival so folks can see it.

Writing the sequel to Evil in the Mirror was so exciting. I cannot describe the thrill that engulfs me as I put together a fast-paced murder mystery. Each chapter is a scene in which I become the characters, good or bad. I literally live the story and by the time it is finished, I sit, worn out and exhausted, glad the evil antagonist has been brought to justice.

My goal is to write five books in a series with the same detectives struggling to catch the bad guys and save the innocent maidens. Oh, what fun it is...I am so lucky to be an author!

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Oh, innocent silver birds of destiny, your end draws near,and on your backs were loved ones held tight in mortal feardrawn together, shocked, but strong in common bonds of beliefas you were ridden hard through space by whip and spear.

I could not behold your fury, bright with fire and smoke,the pain was beyond my capability to copeturning my head each and every time the picture showedyour silver bodies disappearing in a flash of failed hope.

I am saddened that I could not help the silver birds fly away,but at the same time glad at what I could give and saywhich is that I love each and every one who gave their allto help save the rest who fled the fire and smoke that day.